Alex Spillius is The Daily Telegraph's Washington Correspondent.

Mike Huckabee should lower the flag

Full coverage of the US elections 2008Jack Kemp, former vice presidential candidate to Bob Dole and author of the first Reagan tax cuts, has been in South Carolina backing John McCain. This despite McCain's vote against the Bush tax cuts.

The Confederate flag, symbol of oppression for many Americans

He reminded me that once upon a time the Republicans won a majority of African American votes. Then in the 1960s things changed; Barry Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Act while running for office. "That was unconscionable! For the party of Abraham Lincoln!" Mr Kemp was fuming. He would not presumably have been impressed by Mike Huckabee's defence of the Confederate flag.

On the penultimate day of campaigning for the South Carolina primary, Huckabee was asked about demands that the state remove the flag from the grounds of its capitol building. "If somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell them what to do with the pole. That's what we'd do."

John McCain gave a similar if less colourful answer in 2000, and now says he regrets it. Huckabee, who has repeatedly said that he wants the Republicans to be more inclusive, may now also be regretting endorsing a flag that symbolizes slavery and segregation to black Americans.